Live chat: Muskegon Catholic, Western Michigan Christian basketball teams renew rivalry in Game of Week

Bernard Smith puts down a dunk in a Western Michigan Christian boys basketball win over Muskegon Catholic Central in January, 2013. One year later, the two teams renew their rivalry in the MLive Muskegon Chronicle Game of the Week. (MLive.com file)

A 9-0 run to start the fourth quarter for the Crusaders set up a thrilling finish. They could never tie it or take the lead though. The Warriors let them hang around until sophomore James Godwin made a steal and took it the length of the court for a slam dunk with 33 seconds to play. The Warriors then won going away, scoring the final five points of the game to stay unbeaten in the league at 4-0. Bernard Smith led the Warriors with 13 points and Alex Rop added nine points. MCC was led by Erik VanFossen with 13 points, and Ian Tyler added 10 points.

THIRD QUARTER

WESTERN MICHIGAN CHRISTIAN 38, MUSKEGON CATHOLIC CENTRAL 28

The Warriors ended the quarter on a 9-0 run. The Crusaders had crawled back into it behind the tough play of Ian Tyler inside, but they failed to convert on a pair of attempts to tie or take the lead. Derrick Holt's steal and lay-up ignited the hosts and the 9-0 run, as well as the WMC defense as a whole. WMC big man Bernard Smith even got a rest for most of the last part of the quarter. Crusaders will have to find some way to get some points in the final eight minutes, while the Warriors just need to keep doing what they're doing.

HALFTIME

WESTERN MICHIGAN CHRISTIAN 25, MUSKEGON CATHOLIC CENTRAL 21

Both teams still going all out, although they settled in a little bit better offensively as the quarter wore on. Both teams scored 13 points, but it was back-and-forth the whole way. The Crusaders, led by Ian Tyler and Erik VanFossen with five points each, took the lead later in the quarter, but the Warriors responded behind Bernard Smith, who scored seven points in the opening half. Jacob Ray had six points in the quarter, including a putback a couple seconds before the buzzer. Second-chance points lifting the Warriors and killing the Crusaders so far.

1ST QUARTER

WESTERN MICHIGAN CHRISTIAN 12, MUSKEGON CATHOLIC CENTRAL 8

MCC coach Lamar Jordan disagreed with a foul call on his forward Ian Tyler 21 seconds into the game and drew technical fouls to get ejected from the game. The Crusaders rallied afterwards to take a 6-2 lead, but WMC roared back with a 10-2 run to close the quarter. The Warriors are getting second chance points, while most of MCC's points have come on hustle plays and in transition. Neither team hitting its free throws, which could come back to haunt one of them.

PREGAME

Starting next year, the Muskegon Catholic Central-Western Michigan Christian boys basketball rivalry will be just a rivalry, with no league titles riding on the outcome.

The Crusaders are moving out of the River Valley Conference and into the Lakes Conference next season.

Tonight's matchup, however, still carries league implications as MCC visits Western Michigan Christian in the MLive Muskegon Chronicle Game of the Week.

Tip-off is scheduled for 7:15 p.m.

We’ll be there, providing live updates on the game in the comments section below. You can chime in with your thoughts and questions. We’ll talk about the game, as well as other Muskegon-area basketball in general.

Will 6-foot-5 Bernard Smith rack up plenty of points and rebounds in leading the Warriors to victory once again, or can 6-foot-4 Ian Tyler and 6-5 Todd Hall contain him enough to help the Crusaders stop the losing skid against their crosstown rivals?

Both teams are looking for their sixth win of the season, and we are looking to forward to interacting with you as you follow along. We’ll start the live chat approximately 15 minutes before the game tips off. See you then.